A review by thenovelmaura
The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I'm actually shocked this one is a novella because my main critique is that it should have been shorter! I think I would have preferred reading the short story version since it would have conveyed the main concepts in a more succinct format. Overall, I loved how deeply this book made me think about human consumption and the fact that we're painfully close to living in Garbagetown ourselves. Tetley was the best kind of narrator for a journey through this bleak, ruthless world: a relentlessly optimistic girl who truly loves the post-apocalyptic trash heap that she lived on. The deeply depressing themes and setting are offset by hilarious details like how the people in Garbagetown get their names.

Again, I wish the storyline hadn't been drawn out quite so long, and the twist ending wasn't very satisfying, for some reason I can't put my finger on. (A side note for audiobook fans: the narrator's voice was quite grating and it took me a long time to get used to her affected cockney accent, although I understand why they chose to go that route with the narration.) This was a recommendation from a dear friend, and while I didn't love it as much as she did, I agree that it was an intriguing, worthwhile read!
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